Biography

Claire was previously best-known for her role on the much loved (and too soon canceled) My So-Called Life in which she starred with Hollywood bad boy Jared Leto. She came into the limelight again with a stunning performance in the movie version of Shopgirl, which was adapted from Steve Martin's play.

Renowned actress Jodie Foster once said in a 2008 interview that Claire is one of the very few celebrities she knows who started out as a child and grew up to be "a well-adjusted person with a full life."

In 2007, 28-year-old Claire joked that her friends called her "Grandma" because she didn't bother with a cell phone, I-Pod, or other such technologies. Claire claimed that she didn't even know how to use a cell phone.

By the time filming for the 2007 film Evening ended, Claire was in a relationship with co-star Hugh Dancy, who played a troubled college friend of Claire's in the movie. Claire says they played a lot of Scrabble in-between shooting, and Hugh was frustrated that she knew all the good 2-letter words.

Claire dated Matt Damon, her co-star in the movie The Rainmaker, in 1996. She dated Australian singer Ben Lee for six years then they split in 2003. Claire also dated Billy Crudup for three years. They split in December, 2006.

Claire auditioned for the role of Rose in the movie Titanic in 1997. The role went to Kate Winslet. Claire had auditioned for the role of "Lisa" in Girl, Interrupted in 1997. She lost the role to Angelina Jolie.

Claire started attending Yale University in 1998, studying psychology. She attended for two years, and did not receive her degree. Claire attended the Professional Performing Arts High, in New York City. She also studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute in New York City.

Claire was banned from the Philippines in September 1998 for making derogatory remarks about the country. The President of the Philippines condemned her publicly. This happened during filming of Brokedown Palace.

Claire Danes: I went to my first make-out party when I was 12, and I didn't know anybody there. That was the kinkiest I've ever been! His name was Peter, and he was from Sweden. Not a bad way to start.

Claire Danes: Television is incredibly impactful and powerful. The failure of a show accesses more people than the most successful movie. Movies are talked about with kind of more reverence or something, but they're not as powerful culturally. TV stars have a whole other level of celebrity.

Claire Danes: I was told that going to college wouldn't be good for my career, but I think that's nonsense. It's good to empower yourself by cutting yourself off from this business every once in a while.

Claire: (on getting used to fame and the paparazzi) The media has become so much more voracious in the last 10 years. I think the proliferation of the tabloids has changed actors' lives pretty profoundly.

Claire: (on her relationship with Australian rock star Ben Lee) We follow each other around. It's a priority for both of us, I think. Our lives are quite erratic, and we provide a sense of constancy and consistency. Yeah, we're each other's anchors.

Claire: College is hardly "just being a kid." It's really hard.....I was such a nerd. I was nerdier than most of the other students. My best friend would get so frustrated with me, because I was quite anal and would get so obsessive over papers and exams. I took it all so seriously. It was as if I was sustaining a 100 million dollar movie or something.

Claire: It was never our intention to hurt anyone. Billy and I fell in love, it happens. His feelings for Mary Louise had since changed, and we just acted on what we were feeling. Unfortunately, we did hurt two very special people, intentionally, or not.

Great actress.

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I have not been very impressed with the career path that Claire Danes has taken. She made it big on the short-lived, "My So Called Life" in 1994 and she has done some very good movies, but I was disappointed that she did not step into the role of the lead actress in a blockbuster film.

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